Harry Potter and the Great Censorship Controversy
by Meisako
Summary: Harry Potter travels to America to get his books back in schools. COMPLETE
1. Harry's Hardship

Harry Potter and the Great Censorship Controversy  
  
  
Harry picked up his things angrily and threw them into his school bag. The teacher stared acidly at him and pointed to the door. Serveal children looked up sadly and began to cry.  
  
"Don't leave, Harry!" wailed a small girl with pig-tails. "I'll miss you Harry! Don't go!"  
  
"Sorry, Julie, but I have to." He faked a smiled for her sake. "Your mommy doesn't like me."  
  
The girl sniffled and nodded. The rest of the classroom watched as Harry reached the door, pulled it open, and left for the last time.  
  
"Did they ban you from _another_ school, Harry?" Hermione asked as she exited the same building an hour later. "Gosh- How many is that now? 52?"  
  
"54- that's just in _this_ county!" Harry dug his toe into the dirt.   
  
"Oh, well at least you've got Hogwarts!"  
  
"Nope. That was the first school to ban me. Apparently I was giving them a bad name."  
  
Ron spat. "I can't believe these foolish Muggles! Isn't there _someway_ we can get people to see that Harry isn't bad?"  
  
Hermione suddenly looked chipper. "I think so! There's a Muggle girl I met over the internet just a couple of days ago- very good essay writer and speaker. Maybe we could ask her to address some of the parents who have a problem with you!"  
  
Harry looked doubtful. "You think it will work? I mean, how much could a Muggle do for me? From what I know about Muggles, there isn't much..."  
  
"Oh, she's terribly brilliant! I think we'll win them over with her!"  
  
Ron nodded furrioursly. "Any help is good help! I hate seeing you being kicked out of one after another. You _need_ to get an education at some point!"  
  
"Alright, were can we meet up with this girl?" Harry gave in.  
  
"Missouri, United States."  
  
After several long hours on the airplane, they touched down in St. Louis with a jolt. Having received permission from Professor Dumbledore (although Harry didn't need it, being expelled and all) to travel the distance, Ron and Hermione packed their bags and set off at once. It was just after noon and they still had two hours to travel.  
  
The cab pulled up infront of a large brownish building around two thirty and all three climbed out of it.   
  
"Here-" Hermione pulled some money out of here coin purse and handed it to the driver.  
  
"What the heck are these?" The cab driver asked bitterly, looking at the change she handed him.  
  
"Huh? Oh! Harry, have you any pound notes? I've only got galleons..." Hermione pawed through her change purse.  
  
"No, I haven't- Look, sir," Harry turned to the driver as Ron got their luggage. "We haven't any pounds-"  
  
"I don't want _pounds_, I'm talking cash, you know, _dollar bills_?"  
  
"Oh- here-" Harry shoved a fist of galleons into his hand. "This is pure gold, you can melt it down, I'm sure. Probably worth more than the entire ride. Take it. It's all we've got."  
  
The man looked at it curiously, gave a curt nod, and drove away.  
  
"How much did you give him?" Ron asked.  
  
"Seventeen galleons..."  
  
Ron looked sickly pale. "Yikes... America is sure expensive!"  
  
They went in the building and found what looked like an office.  
  
"Can I help you?" A woman with large hair asked nicely from behind a desk.  
  
"Yes, we need to speak with Melissa Pomeroy- do you know what room number she'd be at right now?" Hermione asked in her nicest voice.   
  
"Ah- A Pomeroy. We've got two of them here... Melissa? She's in fourth block, room 210 -that's this floor- and you'll need to wear this..." The woman, who's name tag read Mrs. Beatte, placed chains with laminated paper at the end around their necks. Ron looked at it funnily. "Building passes- for visitors." She explained. "Now, visitors are only allowed to stay for one hour, but seeing how school will be letting out in fifteen minutes, take as long as you'd like. Alright?"  
  
"Yes, thank you ma'am." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Yeah, thanks!" Ron and Harry chimed.  
  
They wondered the halls trying to find room 210, not to much success, for all of the fifteen minutes left in school, when a loud beeping noise rang in the corridor.  
  
"What on Earth!?" Ron jumped. Classroom doors flew open and soon they were swallowed up by a sea of students.  
  
"The bell's rung!" Harry shouted over the noise as a student walked into him rudely.  
  
"Hey guys! I've found it!" Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him into an open classroom. Ron sooned followed. Inside the classroom were several long tables and many brightly colored posters. They were mostly movie posters, one of them was even-  
  
"Harry! It's you!" Ron exclaimed in a whisper, pointing to a particular poster that read _Harry Potter_ across the front. Harry didn't pay much attention to the poster though, he as watching a girl with long brown hair deep in conversation with her teacher, a bright woman with vivid red lipstick and aburn hair.   
  
"...you think that is a better topic?"  
  
"Well, Lissa, whatever you'd like to write about, go ahead. Your persuasive essay needs to be about something you've a passion for, you know- something you love. Convince me why it's good." The teacher took off her glasses and smiled at the girl.  
  
"Erm... excuse me..." Hermione ventured. They student and teacher looked up. "Are you- Melissa?"  
  
"Yes- who-" The girl smiled really big. "It's you! Oh my gosh!" Melissa jumped about and clapped her hands. "You're Hermione Granger! You know, they weren't that far off when they hired Emma Watson to play you in the movie- you look alike..."  
  
The teacher looked simply puzzled beyond belief. "Lissa... I've said it before and I'll say it again... There's a fine line between fan and fanatic."  
  
"Mrs. Milne," Melissa sighed. "I've told you. I don't suffer from Potterholsim, I enjoy every minute!" Her eyes traveled from Hermione to Ron. "You're just as I thought you'd look! Wow!" She ran over to her folder on a table and pulled out a peice of paper and handed it him. "See? This is the picture I drew of you..." Ron looked at it and smiled.   
  
"Wicked!"  
  
"I drew one of you, too, Harry..." She said in a small voice. She went through her binder and sifted through papers. "Oh- umm, I've only got these with me..." She looked embarrassed when she handed it to him, and when he saw it, Harry instantly knew why. It was a picture drawn in pencil, very nicely drawn at that, of him and Ginny. They were hugging in this picture, but as he looked at the table where her other drawings lay, he realized that they were all of him and Ginny. In several, they were even kissing.  
  
Ron looked at the picture over Harry's shoulder at the picture and frowned.  
  
"Oy, Melissa... What's up with that?" But Melissa and Hermione were busy giggling over another picture, one with Hermione and Ron gazing longingly into each other's eyes. Ron turned red.  
  
"Um, was there something we could help you with?" Mrs, Milne asked from her seat, looking very amicable indeed.   
  
"Oh, yes..." Hermione put the picture in her pocket with a large smile. "I was wondering if you could help us, Melissa. See, Harry's been expelled-"  
  
"No! Not Harry!" She looked sadly at Harry. "They didn't! Albus wouldn't have-"  
  
"Oh, they did." Harry said slowly, thinking that Melissa was watching him too fondly.  
  
"Anyway, he's also been banned from other schools. You know. Some parents don't want Harry or his influence around their children- says it brings witchcraft into the childs life-"  
  
"Bologna!" The girl pouted. "Harry's all good!"  
  
Ron poked Harry in the ribs and pointed out Melissa's apparel. A blue and grey baseball T that read 'Gryffindor Quidditch Team' and on the back was the name 'POTTER' and the number 7. She socks also had Snitches stitched into them. Harry began to feel that Melissa was indeed suffering from 'Potterholsim'.  
  
"Anyway, we were wondering if you would assist us in convincing parents that the Harry Potter books aren't bad and that they shouldn't be banned from schools, public schools at least- That way, we might be able to get Harry back into Hogwarts!" Hermione smiled hopefully.  
  
"Of course!" A foolish grin spread across her face. "Hey- Mrs. Milne?"  
  
"Yes, hun?"  
  
"Could I do this for my persuasive essay? Why Harry Potter should not be banned from public schools?"  
  
"I think so." The teacher nodded and flashed her white teeth. "Oh, Melissa- behind you."  
  
They all turned to see a guy in a blonde pony tail. "Did I miss something?" he asked.  
  
"Nope, not at all!" Melissa gathered her things and threw on her backpack. "Guys, this is Colin, my boyfriend." Harry let and inward sigh, he thought Melissa was fancying him a tad too much. "Colin, this is Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter." Colin raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Harry Potter?" She laughed goofily. "How much did she pay you guys?"  
  
"Nothing. We are who she says we are." Ron snapped. Hermione smacked his arm.  
  
"Don't be rude, Ron!"  
  
"Yeah, well- Are you ready?" Colin rolled his eyes.  
  
"Sure! Bye, Mrs. Milne!" Melissa took Colin's hand and all five of them left the classroom together. Altough she was holding Colin's hand, she didn't say much to him. "So, Hermione, I'll need to research a bit, care to join me at the library tonight?"  
  
"Don't you work tonight?"  
  
"No, now hush up a minute, Colin, I'm talking." He promptly closed his mouth. "Well?"  
  
"I'd love to! I'm ever so very greatful that you decided to help us! I could- I could just hug you!" Hermione looked sincere.  
  
Ron laughed. "A huggable Muggle!"  
  
When they got outside, Ron's jaw dropped. "I've never seen so many buses in my life!"  
  
Colin shrugged. "We have alot of students here."  
  
They approached a tree where alot of students stood around. One girl screamed.   
  
"Oh! Get him away! No!! It's Harry Potter! Some one shoot me!"  
  
The girl ran in circles before dashing inside. "That's Raye- she doesn't like you too much..."  
  
"Oh," Harry responded to Melissa disappointedly.  
  
"So- want to get some food before we go to the library?" Melissa was digging through her purse for money. "I've got enough for five Big Macs- C'mon Colin! You're taking us to McDonald's!"  
  
Colin looked startled. "I am?" Oh- Okay then..." They all climbed into Colin's van and he drove them down the street to a building with a large yellow 'M' on the sign. Melissa bought them all sloppy beef patties on buns with lettuce and some strange and tangy sauce.  
  
"We don't have pumpkin juice- but we've got tomato juice..."  
  
Ron cringed. "No- I'll stick with lemonade."  
  
"They've got Dr. Pepper..."  
  
"I don't want to drink anything with doctors in it!"  
  
Melissa laughed.  
  
When they were done with the messy Muggle meal, they set off for the library. Colin had reluctantly agreed to drive them, on the condition that Melissa would see a movie with him on Saturday (one Melissa's terms, being that _she_ got to pick the movie). Melissa pulled out books upon books about censorship and book bannings in America, jotted down some notes, and silently conversed with Hermione. Colin sat in the corner and read a comic.  
  
"I don't see how they are together- She treats him so badly!" Ron whispered.  
  
"I know. But _you_ know how some people who like each other don't always show it."  
  
Ron turned red. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about!  
  
"Done!" Melissa exclaimed three hours later, jolting Colin from his nap. "Now- to get this to the press!"  
  
Hermione ran over to the telephone, and with the correct change borrowed from Melissa called and set up a confrence to unban Harry's books.  
  



	2. What Melissa Wrote

  
  
The next week, Melissa met up with Harry, Hermione, and Ron back at the library.  
  
"They've got Muggle cameras upstairs in the meeting room! Loads of them!" Ron told her excitedly.  
  
"I'm really nervous- I've proofread my report twelve times... you think it's good enough?"  
  
"You'll do fine," Harry had read the essay and it did sound very impressive.  
  
"That means alot to me, especially from you, Harry." Melissa had her eyes closed and she was breathing deeply. "I'm so scared..."  
  
They entered the room and cameras began to flash brightly as Melissa took her place at the podium. Harry had to admit, she looked terrified.  
  
Ron leaned over and whispered to Hermione, "I don't see Colin- you don't think they broke up, do you?"  
  
"I wouldn't blame him..."  
  
"La-ladies and g-gentlemen, members of the press, librarians, parents, readers," she began shakily, "-and friends," she flashed a smile at the three, "I'd like to invite you to listen to me, for I have something of importance to speak about with you:  
  
"Think of your favorite book. The one book you love to read the most out of an entire library of written works. Have you thought of it? Now, let's take it away, ban it from public schools, and burn it on national television. How do you feel? Confused? Frustrated? Angry? You would not be the only one, for book burnings take place nearly everyday. As for book bannings, there were six-hundred-forty-six formal, written complaints filed with school libraries over the content and-or appropriateness of various pieces of literature in the year 2000. Already banned from four states, the Harry Potter series is among the most challenged. Harry Potter, the book that got America (along with the rest of the world) reading should not be banned from public schools. In a culture where violence is commonly found in all shapes and forms of media, why keep the literature from us, that we so desperately need?  
  
"Before 1997, where would you find your children in their free time? Glued to the television set or fixated on their newest game console? Now you can find them, along with millions of others, absorbed in books. Reading increases your knowledge and vocabulary, so why would anyone stop their child from picking up a book? "'Books contain a wealth of diverse and important ideas,' says Beverly Becker of the [American Library Association]. 'It is a safe place to think about things and explore different ideas.'" Although subtle it may appear, by reading Harry Potter books you are expanding your horizons to include bits of British culture, pieces of life at boarding school, and an assortment of views about good versus evil. As far as vocaulbary is concerned, how many children do you know of who could tell you what lumos and lupin mean? Anyone who has read Harry Potter: And the Prisonaer of Azkaban would be able to tell you that lupin refers to wolves and lumos to light in Latin. Harry Potter, however, is not all knowledge. It is also fun and exciting to read as the main characters battle with things in daily life. Children feel they can relate to Harry and his friends, as they also have to deal with bullies and mean teachers regularly. "Books are one of the best tools for learning about the world. Many banned books teach about open-mindedness and self-worth - very important qualities."  
  
"Not only is banning Harry Potter against the desire of children and adults everywhere, but it is also against out constitutional rights. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: 'Congress shall make no law respecting or abiding the freedom of speech or the prefs, or the right of the people to peacably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redrefs of greivances.' This right says that the governemnt will make no law on resctricting our freedom of speech. Written works, such as newspapers and books are covered in this Amendment. Sure, Harry Potter is a British book, but does that mean that it is not allowed to be freely published in America? If this were so, then the foreign civilians would have no rights under the Constitution because of where they originated from, but they do. Why should a foreign book be any different? We have a freedom to publish, and thus read, these books, and it would be against our rights to take these freedoms away. Simply put, "Banning books violates First Amendment to the Constitution, which grants U.S. citizens freedom of speech." Children and adults have the right to go to their libraries and check out a copy of Harry Potter. Public schools and their libraries are funded by the government, which means they must deffinately uphold all Constitutional rights. Anything else would be, well, unconstitutional. Only just recently has the popular series been placed back on the shelves of Springfeild, Missouri schools. Harry had been banned from all fifty-four schools in the city because a grandmother had complained. A committee who gathered to review the banning detirmined that the books did not violate board policies or guidelines for school libraries. If they don't violate policies in Springfeild, what major violations could the books have made in any other city? In addition to banning the books, burning them has also become controversial. While book burnings are perfectly legal and also protected under the United States Constitution, it tends to lead people to recall the book burnings of Adolf Hitler in World War II. Would you want to have done something that people would recognize as being related with Hitler?  
  
"There is no reason for Harry Potter to be banned from public schools in the first place. Despite popular belief, Harry Potter does not teach and-or promote witchcraft. The series is devoted to telling the story of the tragic and hectic life of an orphan who finds he is a wizard. Simply because Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, parents find the book offensive, in that it must teach its readers to preform spells or make magical potions. The school only supplies scenery for the story, being the place where all of Harry's adventures happen. This only makes sense. Another reason parents protest is that they believe it leads children into thinking that there are magical forces out there besides God, which would completely be contrast to Christianic views. There is more than one religion in this world, and Wiccan (which is not even closely related to steryotypical witchcraft) happens to be one of them. Who's to say that all books have to correlate with Christian beliefs? Besides having a completely fictional and fatansy based story, with a small view on witchcraft, Harry Potter is nothing more than a chapter book. There are worse books out there, at your children's fingertips, no less. If you wanted to ban anything, why not start with the books that actually give straight out information on such topics? The Jefferson City Public School library in Jefferson City Missouri has twenty-six nonfiction books on witchcraft, five on Satanism, and eighteen over cults, one entitled Carnival of Souls: program for paradise, even! If you don't want your child introduced to such things, start by banning these first. If you were really concerned with what your child's reading, you'd look at the books with the facts before going to the fiction. If you still ban Harry Potter, despite all of that, then why not ban Lord of the Rings, also? Lord of the Rings has as much magic in it as Harry Potter. Why go after one and not another? Why hasn't it also been on the 'top ten most challenged books' list for the past three years? Do the parents even know how the words 'witch' and 'wizardry' are used in the books? Have they even read what they refuse to let their sons and daughters read? Mrs. J. Milne, an English teacher at Jefferson City High School, has a thought she keeps in mind when approached by weary parents about the contents of an assigned literary peice. "I welcome parents to question anything we read in class, but I require them to read the material before I will discuss it with them." How can you not agree? You will not know what you are complaining about - unless you have read the book. With this in mind, parents are asked to read Harry Potter before posting a complaint with the school board. Compared with one book ( required to be read by juniors), Fallen Angels, Harry Potter should be a walk in the park. How can one book be allowed in the curriculum and the other not even on the library shelves? Parents's basis for banning books seems to be gretly unresearched.  
  
"Despite the attempts to ban Harry Potter, children, teenagers, and adults will always find a way to get their handds on a copy. While some seem to have a problem with this particular set of books, others remain to argue that Harry Potter, like other books, can only be beneficial to the reader, all the while building vocabulary, imagination, and I.Q. Besides being completely unjust and unfairly challenged, banning the adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be against our rights as citizens of this country. Before you reject every word spoken here, consider this from a reader's point of view: How would YOU feel if YOUR favorite book were banned?"  
  
The room burst into applause. Even some of the parents were begining to think differently.   
  
Melissa shook slightly, either from fear or relief, but she was smiling. "I did it- I only hope it helps, Harry."  
  
"Oh, it was great, Melissa. I think it will work. Whatever it does, your speech was worth coming all the way to America for."  
  
"Actually, those Bag Mics were pretty good- The trip was worth it just for that!"  
  
"Ron, you can get _Big Macs_ in Muggle London..."  
  
"Hush up, Hermione."  
  
Melissa laughed again. They walked down the stairs and out the front doors into the cool night air when Melissa stopped suddenly.   
  
  
  
((This report was written April 23, 2002 for Mrs. Milne's English II class. Quotes belong to their respective owners (works cited not included on site).))  
  



	3. Going Home

Melissa let out a small 'coo', causing Ron, Hermione, and Harry to peer around her. Colin stood infront of her with a single red rose.  
  
"I'm very proud of you, Missy- I listened to the whole thing on my radio... I'm really proud." Melissa wiped a tear away and threw herself into his arms.   
  
"I'm sorry, Colin, I'm sorry I've been ignoring you! Forgive me..." They hugged for a while. Harry suddenly felt like a fifth wheel, after seeing Colin and Melissa, and then Hermione and Ron.  
  
Hermione was bursting with happy tears and Ron was at her side, slowly putting his arms around her. Feeling incredibly left out, Harry stuck his hand in his pocket. His hands brushed a sheet up paper and pulled it out. He blushed when he found that it was the picture Melissa had drawn of him and Ginny. Maybe when he got back to England...  
  
Naw- Cho, perhaps.  
  
The next day, when Harry was packing up his things before getting back to the airport, there came a knock on his hotel door.  
  
"Come in!"  
  
Melissa threw open the door, looking red faced and giddy, with a newspaper in her hand.  
  
"Look! I did it!" Together they sat on the bed and Harry read the article over.  
  
"I can't believe it! It says that Harry Potter will be allowed back in schools in New Mexico! This is great! Thank you, Melissa, I never thought you could have done this much for me. Never." Harry looked at Melissa. "You've been a great help. Is there anything I could do for you? Anything at all, to pay you back?" Harry instantly wish he hadn't said it.   
  
"Anything at all?" Melissa leaned in with a strange look in her eyes.  
  
"Uh- yeah..."  
  
When her face was an inch from his, she whispered, "Would you do me a favor then? Would you- _introduce me to Draco Malfoy?_ He's soo cute!"  
  
Harry nearly choked on his own tongue and then laughed. "I'll see what I can do!"  
  
An owl flew suddenly in the open door. "Hedwi- wait..."  
  
"Oh, that's not Hedwig, that's Hector, _my_ snowy owl."  
  
"_Your_ snowy?" Harry repeated slowly. "Why do _you_ have a snowy owl?"  
  
"Because he was prettier than a barn-" She replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and took the letter from Hector. "It's for you."  
  
Harry took it, shaking his head- This girl was seriously off her nut. He looked down at the letter- It had a Hogwarts seal. "They want me back! I can't believe it! I'm going back to Hogwarts!"  
  
Melissa squealed and jumped off the bed, clapping. "Congradulations!"  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron boarded their plane, much happier than they were when they first arrived. They, all three of them, were going back to Hogwarts.  
  
"Harry! Don't forget about Draco!" Harry shuddered. Melissa was crazy, VERY crazy. Poor Colin....  
  
  
((Yeah, yeah. Stupid story. I only did it to get my report up. FanFiction.Net has this thing where you aren't allowed to post opinions, which include essays, so I wrote a story to go with it. Sadly, that IS how I act and I DO have that shirt... I feel SOOO sorry for my boyfriend!)) 


End file.
